Further Planning Scene 2 Shoot

I made a clear list of everything I needed to take to this shoot to make sure I did not forget anything. I packed everything the night before because I planned an early call time and wanted to be organised.

List of things to take:

Makeup
- Moisturiser
- Eye cream
- Matte primer
- Concealer
- Loose powder
- Pressed powder
- Illamasqua contour palette
- Eyeshadow primer
- Makeup Geek eyeshadow palette
- Huda Beauty eyeshadow palette
- White supra colour
- Eyebrow brush
- Brushes
- Makeup wipes

Hair
- Hair oil
- Hair gel
- Brush
- Pin tail comb
- Clear elastics
- Hair grips
- Hair spray
- Hair piece (for strips)
- Big needle
- Hair piece plaits

Styling (She)
- Black dress
- Black shorts
- Black strappy top
- Black bra
- Sewing kit

Styling (Society)
- Doctor top and trousers
- Black shoes

Other
- Nail varnish remover/cotton pads
- Storyboards
- Laptop
- External hard drive

Photography
- Camera
- Extra lenses
- Spare battery
- Battery charger
- Clear memory card
- Spare clear memory card

Set
- Table
- Chair
- Pile of paper
- Extra paper to be scrunched on floor
- Plain pencil

After doing my first shoot, I decided I didn't want to have the behind the scenes footage filmed because I don't think it will be interesting to watch. I also felt that the behind the scenes images were more important as they would be the banner of many pages on my website, so I wanted to make sure they were good quality and professional looking. I will create a slideshow of behind the scenes images to replace the proposed video.

The most time consuming preparation for shooting scene 2 was doing all the alterations to the black dress that my Sofia's tailor had made. The most time consuming part was tightening all the loose strips of elastic around her stomach and hips because I had to cut them shorter and then sew each one on individually. Sofia's tailor stuck the strips of elastic on with glue so some of them had pinged off what put on the model and some of the glue was very visible. I therefore had to remove a lot of the glue and sew the loose strips back on. The leather lining around the bottom of the skirt had come loose so I stuck that back on with double sided sticky tape. The tailor used red thread on some areas so I covered that colour with a black pen. There were other small aspects I had to fix; however once I was finished I was pleased with the outcome and couldn't wait to try it on my model to see the finished result.

Image shows me making the dress alterations.

Receiving Shoot 1 Footage from Harrison

I have just looked at the footage from my first shoot and I am really disappointed with the footage. The scenes look way too dark so lots of the detail in the styling and makeup is not visible. All the footage where the models changed their outfits are out of focus and so looks very unprofessional and I would not feel happy submitting it. I am so disappointed because I had specifically hired Harrison to film my work because I was confident he would produce great quality footage; however this is not the case. I paid him £75 to film just this scene, so for the footage to come out this unexposed and blurry is devastating.

I am now feeling extremely panicked because I feel awkward telling him that his footage is not good enough for me to submit and I don't know whether to continue to use him, whether to find someone else or whether to record the footage myself. I feel frustrated because I have seen Harrison's previous work and it looked high quality and correctly exposed, so I am confused why my footage did not turn out as successfully. I am also frustrated because I have postponed my shoots to when Harrison's equipment is free, meaning I am now running out of time and have less time to correct mistakes, like this one!

I am so disappointed by the footage because I know how much hard work I have put into designing all the makeup and hair and choosing the styling. I have collaborated with some talented designers and music technicians so I feel pressure to create an outcome I am proud of. If I am honest, I did not think the filming of my project would be an issue because Harrison had also injected so much confidence in me, telling me I did not need to worry about the film side.

I am feeling panicked because Louise lives in London and visited me especially to do this shoot so she may not be able to come if I decide to re-shoot it, which I think I am going to have to. If I ask him to re-shoot the footage I am concerned the same thing will happen again where some footage is out of focus and I feel like I will constantly be looking at what he is filming to check if it is what I want. If I decide to film it then I will have more control over what is being filmed; however I am concerned the quality of the footage will not be as high. In my test shoots some of the footage didn't look as sharp as I'd like so I might use my own camera but look into different lenses that will give me a sharper image.

After considering all my options I spoke to Harrison and decided to continue to use him as my cameraman because he said that the small sections that were out of focus were a mistake and he would make sure it didn't happen again. We also looked at the lighting and agreed some sections were too dark, so Harrison said he would bring bigger lights to the next shoot to provide more lighting options for us to experiment with.

I considered adding another day of filming; however I decided to do the re-shoot on the afternoon after filming the first scene of my film because that scene is very short and the lighting set up is the same throughout so it won't take very long to film. I had planned to shoot my opening scene on Monday; however my dancer, Louise, was not free on that day to re-shoot her scenes. I therefore changed the scenes around so I could shoot the opening and final scene on Thursday. My main model, Harrison and my assisting team said they would be available to do this day and thankfully Louise said she was back from London for Easter and so would be available to shoot on that day! I was extremely grateful that my whole team were so supportive and understanding that I had to re-shoot.

List of Images for Photographer

I made a list of images that I wanted the photographer to take for each shoot to make sure I had enough images for my website. I made a list of what images I wanted to go on each page on my website and they are listed below.

Behind The Scenes Imagery

- Becky doing Natalie’s makeup
- Becky doing Natalie’s hair
- Becky doing Robert’s makeup
- Headshot of both models separately (show makeup and hair)
- Full length of both models separately (show styling)
- Shot of behind the scenes, including Harrison filming, Becky adjusting styling and Linda watching
- Shot looking through Becky and Harrison at Natalie
- Show all team wearing wristbands
- Everyone look at camera and smile

Final Image

- Images of the scene to promote film (no behind the scenes)

I said to my photographer that the images above were vital to capture and then I would like her to take any extras she felt necessary, just incase I wanted to replace any of my image suggestions. I felt this would be the most organised way of doing it, so that I wasn't left with images I wasn't happy with. I will also make sure I check the images at points during the day to ensure I am happy with the quality and shots. 

Practising Scene 2 Makeup

The hair design for this look is the focal point so I had practised it many times; however I felt I needed to practise the makeup to achieve my desired effect. I made sure I powdered the skin generously to ensure the hair design over the face did not get attached to any sticky makeup. I kept the skin very simple by perfecting her skin with foundation and concealer, powdering the whole face and then adding a subtle, cool toned contour to make her face look more defined and slightly sunken in. I applied concealer to the moisturised lips for a slightly blanked out effect to add to her drained and tired look. I combined many warm toned shades to her eyes, including pinks, purples and oranges, to build up depth in her inner socket. I used colours that reflected bruising and tired under eyes to emphasise her feeling of being controlled and emotional bruised. I felt the colours blended seamlessly together to create a shadowed effect. My model has extremely fair eye brows which I will lose some dimension to the face and make her look more inhuman, like an alien, reflecting her feelings of not feeling accepted in humanity. I added a subtle white line around her lash line to emphasise that my model will not be wearing mascara on her fair eyelashes, to emphasise the alien-like effect. I am very pleased with this outcome and am excited to combine it with the hair and styling!

Scene 1 Development and Concerns

Setting

Sebastiane suggested using a more normal looking bed as he felt the bent bed was too loaded, so I asked my dad to straighten the broken bed by fitting some stands in the middle. Sebastiane said I should make the bed look more everyday as opposed to a dramatic setting so I will add some white sheets over the top that are hanging off the bed slightly to make it look more worn in; I will positions these to hide the fixed joining in the middle of the bed. I didn't discuss what colour the bed should be, but I got the impression he wanted a wooden, slightly old fashioned bed that looked very homely; however I wanted to keep the bed and sheets all white to give a clean, clinical look to reflect that She has admitted herself to a mental asylum in her subconscious as she no longer feels part of society; this all white look also mirrors the second scene.

(O'Brien, 2011).

Above is a theatre set by Mark Obrien made completely out of cardboard. The rooms looks cold, bland and lifeless which inspired me to wrap She's bed in brown parcel paper to create the same effect. I want She to look extremely out of place, to reflect her emotions towards herself not fitting in to society. I will still keep the background and floor black to continue that theme throughout the film; however the set above inspired me to add other objects in the setting that reflect random objects you would have in your bedroom, for example, a book, lampshade, slippers or a teddy. The bed and surrounding objects will look unwelcoming and inhospitable, making She look extremely uncomfortable in her surroundings. I will experiment with wrapping different objects up in brown parcel paper to see which look the most effective and I will choose a couple to include. I still want the bedroom to look minimalist, so I won't add too many props to make it look crowded as I think that will send a different message of her feeling claustrophobic when it is supposed to reflect her social ostracism and depression.

Styling and Makeup

(BOOHOO, 2017a).

(BOOHOO, 2017b).

(BOOHOO, 2017a)

As discussed with Sebastiane, I think She should wear something appropriate for everyday wear to contrast against the abstract background and makeup/hair. I initially wanted her to wear something more avant-garde; however I think if the styling is dominant as well as the makeup and background, then it will look too confusing and busy and the emotion will be lost in the overpowering visuals. I chose to order the baggy t-shirt dresses above because they look very relaxed, they are neutral colours and they are plain, which I think make them very relatable to the young audience as loungewear or pajamas.

Face Chart

I am concerned the makeup and hair, together with the new dominant background may look too overpowering and confusing all together. The black mouthpiece is a bold statement and I am concerned it may reference S&M which is definitely not relevant in my film. However I do like the reference to victorian mental asylum head braces and operations, so I may use a lighter colour to make it less sexualised and more like a human body extension, distorting the mouth. I may try to match the colour of her top with the mouth piece to keep the colour palette small for a minimalist look. I may also consider painting the spikes in the hair design the same colour; however I will discuss this with Sebastiane in my next tutorial and experiment to see if this works. 

I am concerned I still haven't practised this makeup look. According to my production schedule I should have already practised the look and done it in a shoot; however because all the equipment was booked out and the studio wasn't available on the Sunday I had planned to shoot on, we had to postpone the shoot to 10th April. I will ensure I practise this makeup look, with the mouthpiece, this week to make sure the application and outcome work.

Filming and Editing

When I directed this scene for my last test shoot I was mostly inspired by the filming of Screw by Nick Knight, with the ambiguous closeups of the styling and pans up and down the body. The opening was very focus on the fashion element as it was so avant-garde, with textured mesh and depth in the layering; however after changing the styling to be more wearable I don't think these closeups will work as effectively because the material will be so recognisable and uninteresting. My model will also be sat on one side of the bed, with closed body language, instead of laying down in a contorted state, so panning her body will not be as ambiguous as it will be more obvious it's a human. 

Screenshots of Insanitarium (2008) made into collage.

The image above shows a collage of different screenshots of the film Insanitarium by Jeff Buhler. There is a scene where Jack has been locked in his cell and the editing used shows that time is passing. The same shot of the cell is used throughout but Jack is shown in a number of positions, cutting out the transitions of him moving, and therefore speeding up time. It almost looks like still images have been put together, adding a different media to the film and slowing its tempo, to show him moving from position to position in despair. I want to incorporate this editing technique in my film to emphasise the amount of time She has felt trapped by society's rules, in a depressive state. I want She to be shown in a multiple of positions portraying her deteriorating emotions into depression. I will experiment with this to make my storyboard ready to show Harrison. 

I want to include a combination of mostly slow motion and slow movement footage in this scene to reflect her depressed state; however I want to entwine some sped up movement, as seen in Screw by Nick Knight, to show glimpses of her panic and anxiety. I also think this will break up the otherwise slow paced scene. 


References:
O'BRIEN, M., 2011. Cardboard Set - Bedroom [viewed 3rd April]. Available from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62492512@N00/6520388145/

BOOHOO, 2017a. Katie Brushed Knit T-Shirt Dress [viewed 3rd April 2017]. Available from: http://www.boohoo.com/day-dresses/katie-brushed-knit-t-shirt-dress/invt/dzz59866

BOOHOO, 2017b. Ultimate T-Shirt Dress with Rolled Sleeves [viewed 3rd April 2017]. Available from: http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-ultimate-t-shirt-dress-with-rolled-sleeves/prd/7712749?iid=7712749&clr=Nude&SearchQuery=tshirt%20dress&pgesize=
36&pge=2&totalstyles=736&gridsize=3&gridrow=4&gridcolumn=1

Insanitarium, 2008[film]. Directed by Jeff BUHLER. USA: Stage Six Films

Working with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

As mentioned in my project proposal, I emailed The Sophie Lancaster Foundation to ask if I could use their name on my website and provide links to their website. I was delighted when Sylvia Lancaster replied saying she thought my project looked great, I should be very proud of myself and she was happy to give her consent.

After I had such a positive response and started making my website I decided I wanted a page of my website dedicated to the charity to help promote it, including links for people to donate to the charity and buy related merchandise. I also wanted to ask Sylvia some questions relating to my project to get her opinions on the use of film to capture people's emotions and educate. I hope she will respond positively again and agree to answer my questions as I would like to include them on my website.

The email I sent Sylvia is below:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Sylvia,

Just to keep you updated on my film, my project is going really well and I'm having so much fun with it. I only have a couple more sections to film over Easter and then I will be ready to start editing.

As you know, I am creating a website and am really pleased I can include a link to yours. I would like to include a page dedicated to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, with information about the charity, links to your website and how to donate and purchase related merchandise. I am hoping you would be able to answer a few questions specifically relating to my university project which I could include on this page. In case you feel this is something you might be able to do, I have included a few questions below for you to look at. As well as your answers to my questions, I will also include background information and add quotes from your website, if that is OK with you? 

Could you please send a high res image of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation logo and possibly an image of Sophie? I would like to use them on my website to link to yours. 

Thanks so much, 

Becky

Questions:

1. Do you think there are enough easily accessible education resources targeting the effects of discrimination, not only for teachers but for general consumption? 

2. Do you think more relevant education videos/talks should be available to college and university students? 

3. Do you think there is less discrimination in schools, the workplace and in everyday life than there was 10 years ago?

4. Do you think the short films, Dark Angel and Black Roses, helped people and students to gain a greater understanding of the emotional torment discrimination can have on its victims? Do you think this is one of the more effective ways to reach an audience, as opposed to possibly a talk or presentation? 

_________________________________________________________________________________

I was so excited when Sylvia Lancaster replied with answers to my questions. I wanted to hear her opinion on anti-discrimination education programmes and whether she thought the discrimination rates had lowered since she started The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. I was delighted to hear her opinions supported my work, for example, she thinks there should be more educational resources available to colleges and universities, which is my film's target market. She also said she thought discrimination was increasing since Brexit, emphasising the importance of anti-discrimination education and confirming that Ostracised was being released at a relevant time. Sylvia Lancaster also expressed her concern that many educational packages 'miss the point' because they aren't personal or honest enough. From my personal experience with educational packages, they aren't as effective as they could be because they seem to tell students what to think and believe; whereas Ostracised gives students an opportunity to understand the genuine hurt discrimination causes to its victims. Ostracised doesn't tell people how to think, but it instead evokes emotion from the viewers to consider their own actions and that of those around them. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Becky

Great to hear from you, here are my answers to your questions.

1. I think there are numerous accessible training packages target discrimination in all its forms. I think the issue is whether the packages are always relevant to the people they are trying to educate.

2. Yes. I think it is about the relevance of education and whether it resonates with people. I often think that educational packages miss the point. People need training that is personal and honest. Education needs to be more interactive and give students food for thought. The Foundation works in many colleges and Universities and we are always well received.

3. I think that discrimination in schools, workplaces and in everyday life was becoming less. Unfortunately since Brexit as shown by Government statistics discrimination seems to be on the increase again particularly Islamaphobia and hate crimes against people who are perceived to be foreigners.

4. I believe that Dark Angel and Black Roses have helped people and students to gain a greater understanding of the emotional torment discrimination can have on its victims. Dark Angel was made with  the express aim to raise empathy levels research shows that young people lack empathy.When using Dark Angel in a school or college etc you can feel the atmosphere change it does what it was made to do.

Black Roses was made to use primarily for victim impact once again the film explores the issue in great depth and detail. It gets the message across to both victims and perpetrators the consequences of their actions. Once again it affects people because it is an honest and personal portrayal and people respond to that.

Hope you find these answers useful.

Sx
_________________________________________________________________________________

I felt so grateful that Sylvia Lancaster had taken the time to respond to my questions in such depth and I can't wait to add it to my website!

We have subsequently corresponded regarding imagery to promote the foundation on my website and I have received official artwork for their logo and a photograph of Sophie for inclusion.

The foundation has been very supportive in asking for updates on my project, very complimentary about the high standard of my work and enthusiastic about its development. I have been really motivated by their support and inspired by the charity's persistent work in improving anti-discrimination law and promoting an understanding of alternative subcultures as a legacy to Sophie. This collaboration has played an extremely important role in my project and I am proud to be able to say I have worked with them, motivating me to want to continue with similar collaborations in the future.

I bought some wristbands from The Sophie Lancaster Foundation merchandise shop to include in the behind the scenes images of the film, to show support and to promote the charity.

Image of the Ostracised team wearing Sophie Lancaster wristbands.

Makeup, Hair and Styling for Final Scene (Second Look)

She - Makeup and Hair

Previous Practice

Final makeup and hair.

I decided to dress the model in her styling before starting the hair or makeup as the dress was the dominating aspect to portray her grown confidence. Looking back at my last practice of this makeup look made me think it looked too theatrical with the white lips and blanked out eye. I had previously wanted to include one blind eye in every look to reflect the lasting effects of discrimination; however I now think this will look too staged and it will be a dominating factor in each makeup look when I was the focus to be more on the other aspects. I therefore decided to not give my model a blind eye and give her a more natural look. I still wanted to include the white aspects to give her a bright, innocent and youthful look; however I wanted it to look less theatrical and more subtle. I think the makeup look I had done in my practice would have looked too overdone with the hair and styling put together.

I kept the model's skin from the previous shoot and added white eyeshadow under the eyes and on the other high points of her face to accentuate her features and add an ethereal touch, as I had done in my practice. I gave her an extremely light contour, again to keep her looking fresh and youthful. I added a generous amount of highlighter to the high points of her face, including her inner corners and brow bone, so an elegant glow. I added the white eye brows and white eye lashes; however I didn't add white to her lower or upper lash line as I thought it looked too heavy. Also instead of adding white eye shadow all over her eye lids, I added a hint of contour in the crease for a more flattering look. I think the biggest change was adding a nude, glossy lip instead of the white lips because they complement the natural glowing skin instead of making it look too overdone and dramatic. 

I am really pleased with how the makeup turned out because the model looks alternative, with the white eyelashes and eyebrows, but still beautiful and elegant, with the glowing skin and glossy nude lips. 

Final makeup and hair, side view.

I kept the model's hair the same as in the last practice apart from I didn't spray the hair white because I thought it would look too overdone with the white makeup and white styling. The strips of leather in the hair match perfectly with the dress as I bought it from the same shop. I wanted the bottom part of the hair to be slicked back, with fly aways, to contrast with the messiness of of the mohawk. To improve the hair look I would have tried to make the side parts look more seamless, with the hairs all going in one direction; however it still looks smooth and sleek and I don't think the slight gap in the hair will be visible on camera. After practicing this look so many times I found it quick and simple to add the mohawk neatly down the centre of her head; however we had problems when she did a dance move that was sharp because sometimes the clips would come out. After this happened a couple of times I stepped in to make sure the mohawk was securely in place and it didn't happen again.


She - Styling

I had a fitting with the model the night before the shoot to check everything fit correctly because my designer, Zhane, had only finished making the two pieces that evening, even though I had given her over a month to create it. The skirt fit perfectly because Zhane had put belt holes around the skirt so I was able to adjust the belt to fit my model's waist. The skirt was slightly longer than my model's leg length; however I liked that I could play with this length in the dance and didn't want it to awkwardly hang before reaching the floor. I was concerned the belt would be a slightly different shade of white/cream; however I took the leatherette fabric out when I was buying the belt to make sure they blended into each other seamlessly.

I considered having the model wear a nude bra underneath the top; however I think this would have disrupted the aesthetic and made it look unprofessional. When my model took her bra off she felt very uncomfortable because the top was so loose on her, so every time she moved the fabric came away from her body to show her nippled. I therefore had to tighten the waist and some of the straps across her body to make them sit flatter against the body and hold the model's boobs in place. I pinned them whilst the top was on the model to make sure it fit perfectly and then sewed them into place. The model looked and felt more comfortable, but to make her even more secure I used double sided tape to stick all the strips of material to her body.

I experimented with putting white pants underneath; however it didn't work because the leatherette is slightly off white and the pants did not match well, making it look messy. I therefore chose nude high waisted pants to go underneath the skirt because it made the outfit look more high fashion, less wearable and more daring, to reflect her new sense of rebellion. The nude underwear also emphasised the caged skirt as it didn't interrupt the pattern, as apposed to the white pants which covered the caged design in that area.

I was extremely happy with how this outfit looked because it oozed confidence and rebellion and, after some adjustments, fit her perfectly.


Society Members - Makeup and Hair

I had only planned to use one member of society to accept She; however after Sebastiane said he liked the use of young and old I decided to include the older model and find styling, makeup and hair for her the night before the shoot.

I had practised this hair and makeup look on myself but had not tested it on my model as she travelled from London to make the shoot just for this day. I had planned the looks so I only had to add the makeup the models had on in the clips before to save time, although this was easy as the previous makeup was so natural. The dark khaki eye shadow blended out with a medium matte brown shade in the crease for a sultry, smokey look. I didn't put any on the lower lash line because I thought that would make it look too glamorous and make her eyes look smaller. Some of this eye shadow fell onto the cheeks so I had to remove that makeup with a makeup wipe and touch up the concealer; this worked successfully in perfecting the under eye area. I added a nude lipstick to give the lips subtle definition so they didn't look washed out on camera. 

I used a tail comb and gel to slick the model's hair up into a high ponytail but left the fringe out. I used a smoothing serum on the fringe to give it a smooth and neat look to complement the sleek hair. My model's hair was slightly dry and frizzy so I straightened the ends and added a smoothing serum to add moisture and give a slick, glossy finish. To improve on this hair look I could have taken more time to make the sides of the hair look more seamless as there are a couple of small partings in the hair, showing her scalp. The mesh that I tied round the hair was easily tucked under the hairband so I didn't have to use the card structure. The hair looked taught and sleek, reflecting society's restrictive hold, and the makeup gave her definition but didn't look too heavy so I am happy with the overall look. 

I was not able to practice this makeup look before the shoot because I had only planned to add this model the night before; however I knew I wanted to mirror the other society member's makeup so I kept her makeup the same as in the previous clips but added some brown eyeliner to her top lash line to add some definition to the eyes. I was concerned that if I added too much eye shadow to this model her eyes would look heavy and tired so I only added a touch of brown for some natural definition. I added the same nude lip to add some definition. The images above wash the model out, making her makeup look less noticeable; however in person and in the footage her eyes look more defined. My model's hair was short so I decided to keep it in the same style as before because I thought if I slicked it back she would look too severe. I felt very panicked when making these changes; however I am happy that my model looks different from the previous scene, but still natural and age appropriate.


Society Members - Styling

Sebastiane said he was concerned the leotard put the model too much in a dance context so I added these fishnet high waisted shorts to break the outfit down and give it a more avant-garde, grungy feel. The leotard fit the model well and to create the shorts I cut some fishnet tights to the length I wanted. The khaki on the eyes ties in the khaki in the outfit for a monochromatic look. 

I decided to use khaki for this model as well to link the two models together as members of society. I found a khaki turtle neck crop top with long sleeves which I thought mirrored the other model's styling; however my model looked slightly frumpy and uncomfortable showing her stomach. I therefore added a similar colour khaki green top underneath for a more flattering look. I paired this with some stone coloured jeans to continue the neutral tones of the previous styling. I considered having the model wear black trousers to mirror the other model's shorts; however her legs would get lost in the black background so she wore lighter trousers to make sure her movements were visible. I am thankful I could find some khaki styling so last minute as Louise would not have been able to postpone the shoot. I will have a look at the footage to clarify whether all the styling works in unison.